Methods for monitoring treatment response and relapse in ovarian cancer

摘要

The invention relates to a method for monitoring the response to treatment in a patient undergoing ovarian cancer therapy comprising detecting the presence of a loss-of-function-related genetic alteration in the Pregnancy-Associated Plasma Protein A (PAPPA) gene or its regulatory or promoter sequences in a sample obtained from the patient, wherein the presence of a genetic alteration and downward change in the quantitative levels of the genetic alteration is indicative of response to therapy, and wherein no change or upward change in the quantitative levels of the genetic alteration is indicative of non-response to therapy. Also claimed are associated methods for assessing the occurrence of a relapse in patients previously treated with ovarian cancer therapy and methods for determining the likelihood of primary ovarian cancer spreading to another part of the body. Also claimed are associated methods detecting the presence and/or level of PAPPA expression or using the proportion of mitotic cells in metaphase or pro-metaphase in samples as a prognostic marker for ovarian cancer.